discussing the important role of women, afro-descendants, youth and Indigenous people in the anti-imperialist struggle. Fire This Time in Caracas
Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice send a delegate to this conference, Alison Bodine, who is also a member of the Fire This Time newspaper editorial board and the coordinator of the Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice Venezuelan Solidarity Campaign.
On the first morning of the conference alone there were 12 simultaneous workshops covering topics such as NATO and the Military Aggressions of Imperialism in the 21st Century, Environmentally Sustained Development and Preservation of Mother Earth, Organizational Proposal and the Battle Plan for an International Anti-Imperialist Agenda in the 21st Century and Sovereignty and Liberation of the Peoples. The next day there were workshops dedicated to workers, women, communes, social movements, Indigenous people, afro-descendants, communication, youth and students, and
Women's roundtable as part of the program of the Antiimperialist conference
times, including on the show of Gladys Requena, who is the Second VicePresident of the National Constituent Assembly in Venezuela. Her show is called “Junto al Pueblo,” (Together with the People). During the interview, Gladys Requena and Alison discussed the anti-imperialist conference, the government of Canada’s sanctions and attacks on Venezuela and about the struggle of Indigenous women in Canada. The Conference Concludes in Solidarity with Iraq – U.S. Troops Out Now!
At the final plenary of the anti-imperialist conference a powerful declaration was passed with enthusiasm (which FTT organizer Alison Bodine with panelists at the women's roundtable including Asia Villegas, the Minister of Women can be read in this issue of Fire This Time on in Venezuela page 20). There were also special resolutions in support of people parliamentarians. of Chile who are mobilizing every day Additionally, the workshops were not against their repressive neo-liberal only an important opportunity for government; people in Colombia who people to report on their struggle against have also mobilized in the millions U.S. imperialism in their home countries, against their right-wing government; but also an occasion to exchange directly the people of the Western Sahara who with people in Venezuela that are leading are fighting for their sovereignty and the struggle for Venezuela’s sovereignty self-determination and resolutions and independence and building the against imperialist sanctions and Bolivarian revolutionary process every blockades. day. One of the most powerful movements As part of the conference, there was of the final day of the conference was also the opportunity to participate in dedicated to the people of Iraq. On multiple interviews with Venezuelan January 24, 2020 millions of people media. Alison was interviewed multiple FIRE THIS TIME
were marching in Iraq against U.S. troops. This tremendous action and courage of the people of Iraq, who are fighting back against a U.S.-led occupation for nearly 17 years, inspired participants in the conference to pass a special resolution in solidarity with the people of Iraq. President Maduro also spoke in solidarity with the people of Iraq as part of the closing event of the conference, and the crowd of international guests and Venezuelans erupted in support:
“Because international censorship covers the truth of the people, surely you none saw the images of the millions of Iraqis who went out to the streets of Baghdad today. With a single slogan “US Troops Out of Iraq! the people of Iraq united on the streets. Today the people of Iraq spoke in one voice.
…From Venezuela, from Caracas, I give the people of Iraq all my support. All our support to the people of Iraq in their struggle to remove the imperialist US troops from the sacred territory of Iraq. All the support of the people of Venezuela to Iraq. The peoples of the world cry for peace!” Build a United Movement Against Imperialism and Neoliberalism!
Conferences such as the First International Encounter Against Imperialism, for Peace, Sovereignty, and Life demonstrate exactly why we need a world-wide anti-imperialist anti-war coalition. In the face of the U.S. military machine we need to bring hundreds of organizations, millions of people together with more coordination and more consistency in our actions.
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